'Zoobiquity': What Humans Can Learn From Animal Illness

Barbara Natterson-Horowitz is a cardiac consultant for the Los Angeles Zoo, a member of the zoo's Medical Advisory Board and director of imaging at the UCLA Cardiac Arrhythmia Center.

Joanna Brooks/Vintage

Barbara Natterson-Horowitz is a cardiac consultant for the Los Angeles Zoo, a member of the zoo's Medical Advisory Board and director of imaging at the UCLA Cardiac Arrhythmia Center.

Joanna Brooks/Vintage

Dr. Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, a cardiologist at the UCLA Medical Center, coined the term "zoobiquity" to describe the idea of looking to animals and the doctors who care for them to better understand human health. Veterinary medicine had not been on her radar at all until about 10 years ago. That's when she was asked to join the medical advisory board for the Los Angeles Zoo and she began hearing about "congestive heart failure in a gorilla or leukemia in a rhinoceros or breast cancer in a tiger or a lion."

Natterson-Horowitz explores the connection between human and veterinary medicine in a book she co-authored with Kathryn Bowers, Zoobiquity: The Astonishing Connection Between Human and Animal Health. "This comparative way of thinking is something that veterinarians learn from their first week of veterinary school," she tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross. "When they learn about the heart, they learn about a four-chambered heart in a mammal and a three-chambered heart in a reptile and a two-chambered heart in a fish. ... Physicians, we don't learn that way. We don't think that way."

The realization that a comparative approach, she says, could advance our knowledge of human medicine was something of a revelation. "It's been exciting for me," she says. " ... On rounds with students, when we're talking about ... breast cancer ? to point out that breast cancer has been seen in mammals from kangaroos and camels to whales, and that there is an increased rate of breast cancer and ovarian cancer in some Venezuelan jaguars."

Doctors, she says, can also learn about human psychological issues ? everything from self-injury to sexual dysfunction ? from studying the same problems in animals.

"Some dogs will just lick and lick and lick at their paws until the skin breaks," she says, "and it starts to bleed, but they continue to lick. So, you see, these grooming-related behaviors ... they're presumably doing this to comfort themselves. It's a kind of attempt to take a very challenging life or environment and make it more acceptable to them."

Interview Highlights

On the fight-or-flight response

"I learned from veterinarians that, you know, animals from Rottweilers and chihuahuas, in different kinds of canaries and lap dogs, that they can also faint in response to fear, and why that happens is really interesting and shared with us. It turns out that whether it's rabbits or monkeys or deer, that danger and noise ? the perception of danger ? causes these animals' heart rates to plummet ? particularly the juveniles ? and that really superslow heart rate keeps them still, and that's probably protective. It's an anti-predation response, which is different from what we typically think about the fight or flight, so it turns out that animals and humans are equipped not with two, but with three responses: fight, flight or faint."

On a salve for self-injury among horses

"They found that ... a flank-biting stallion, if you bring that isolated horse in a stall and return it to a herd ? you know, horses being herd animals ? that the companionship can really improve the self-injuring behavior. If there aren't other horses, they have actually had success putting little chickens in a stall with a horse, so just the presence of companionship can help with self-injury."

On the sexual education of stallions

"How a stallion is raised from foalhood has a big impact on his sexual performance and sexual health as an adult. ... First of all, they make sure that the horse does not have too much sexual experience too early. That can be detrimental. They are careful with which mares they put with the young stallion for his first experiences. You know, a mean mare ? a mare that might physically hurt the young stallion ? could impact him psychologically, so they're just careful about those early sexual experiences."

On the lack of of comparative medicine education in medical school

"It used to be different. My father is a physician, and he tells me that when he went to medical school they had courses in comparative anatomy and comparative pathology, but my dad is turning 90 this year, so it seems that sometime between when he went to medical school and when I went to medical school, the comparative perspective of those courses were dropped from the curriculum."

Source: http://www.npr.org/2013/04/22/177452982/zoobiquity-what-humans-can-learn-from-animal-illness?ft=1&f=1007

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John Galliano to teach master class at NY fashion school

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Disgraced fashion designer John Galliano is continuing his public image rehabilitation with an upcoming stint teaching a master class at one of New York's leading design schools.

Galliano, who was fired by Dior in 2011 after he was caught on camera making anti-Semitic remarks in a Paris cafe, will teach a course titled "Show Me Emotion" at Parsons The New School For Design, the school said on Monday.

Parsons said the class "will be a dynamic and intimate opportunity for our students to learn from an immensely talented designer."

"We believe that over the past two years Galliano has demonstrated a serious intent to make amends for his past actions," the school added.

Earlier this year, the 52-year-old British designer, widely thought of as one of the most talented and creative names in fashion, spent several weeks working at Oscar de la Renta's studio in New York, preparing for de la Renta's New York Fashion Week show in February.

A French court handed out a 6,000-euro ($8,000) suspended fine to Galliano in 2011 after he was found guilty of anti-Semitic behavior. Galliano has said an addiction to drugs and alcohol had left him out of control and he was determined to make amends.

Parsons said students in the master class "will have the opportunity to engage in a frank conversation with Mr. Galliano about the challenges and complications of leading a design house in the 21st century."

Following his Dior dismissal, Galliano designed British model Kate Moss's wedding dress.

(Reporting by Chris Michaud, editing by Jill Serjeant and Doina Chiacu)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/john-galliano-teach-master-class-ny-fashion-school-182955829.html

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A Netherlands court agrees HTC One may be using microphone technology exclusive to Nokia

ST Microelectronics allegedly provided parts designed by, and for Nokia's sole use to the Taiwanese manufacturer

An Amsterdam district court has granted Nokia an preliminary injunction based on the hardware components in HTC's new One phone. It seems the dual-membrane microphone setup in HTC's latest was manufactured using technology "exclusively for Nokia" by ST Microelectronics.

According to sources at Engadget, ST used patented tech and breached an NDA between themselves and Nokia to build the microphone, which shares a common identifying number between the components used in the HTC One and the Lumia 720. While there is a very good chance that Nokia will also pursue action against ST Microelectronics, the first step is to try and put a halt to the sale of devices that have the offending parts inside. In a statement to Engadget, HTC says they are "disappointed in the decision", and "are considering whether it will have any impact on our business and we will explore alternative solutions immediately."

In Nokia's defense (though they don't need any), this is different from squabbles over software patents. If what they are saying is true, ST had no business selling the fruits of Nokia R&D to any company other than Nokia, and they deserve ample compensation. But HTC is the last company that can afford to be caught in the crossfire of this sort of mess.

Source: Engadget; via: WP Central

 

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/XBN9YHP79k8/story01.htm

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Todd Harrell Arrested; 3 Doors Down Bass Player Charged With Vehicular Homicide

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At Shanghai show, Japan automakers woo lost sales

Infiniti's new Q50 is displayed at the Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition (AUTO Shanghai) media day in Shanghai, China Saturday, April 20, 2013. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Infiniti's new Q50 is displayed at the Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition (AUTO Shanghai) media day in Shanghai, China Saturday, April 20, 2013. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Infiniti Chief Creative Officer Shiro Nakamura poses for photographers at the Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition (AUTO Shanghai) media day in Shanghai, China Saturday, April 20, 2013. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

SHANGHAI (AP) ? Japanese automakers promised special Chinese designs and green technology in addition to the usual flashy fanfare at this year's Shanghai Auto Show, trying to woo back sales that crumpled during a territorial dispute over East China Sea islands late last year.

China is the world's biggest auto market by number of vehicles sold and crucial to the growth plans of global automakers. Japanese manufacturers such as Toyota lost market share to U.S., South Korean and German rivals as their sales plummeted and now, even as tensions between Japan and China abate, they continue to languish.

The dispute over control of the Japanese-administered islands, called Diayo in China and Senkaku in Japan, set off riots in China and a boycott of Japanese cars. Sales of cars from Japanese manufacturers plunged at one point to half of what they were the previous year. Latest figures show sales of Japanese brands are still declining while other automakers push deeper into a market that analysts predict will have annual sales of 32 million vehicles by 2020 ? the equivalent of the United States and Europe combined.

Japanese automakers suffered a 17.8 percent sales decline in March overall, while total vehicle sales in China surged 13.3 percent, according to Alec Gutierrez, senior analyst at Kelley Blue Book. "Until the territorial dispute is resolved, it appears as though Japanese automakers will continue to face challenges in the still growing Chinese market," he said.

Honda Motor Co. President Takanobu Ito said the automaker had gone through anti-Japanese sentiment in the U.S. during "Japan-bashing" in the late 1980s, but Honda had earned its place in the U.S. by bringing Americans on board as developers and assembly line workers.

"It's not that all Chinese people dislike our cars," he told reporters at the show's media preview on Saturday.

"There is no mistake that we want to contribute to Chinese society," he said. "We just have to keep at it."

The show, in a sprawling exhibition center, opened to the public Sunday and runs until April 29.

Nissan Motor Co., whose March sales were down nearly 17 percent from last year, has been wooing buyers back with a warranty on cars that get smashed by rioters. It fixed or replaced for free the dozens of cars that got damaged in riots last year. Since then, it has not had to exercise the warranty.

Nissan, which also makes Infiniti luxury models, says it is serious about building its presence in China, and has invested in developing the Venucia lineup of cars aimed at the tastes and budgets of cost-conscious buyers. It also stressed Chinese participation in development of the brand, a priority for Beijing which wants its own automakers to grow into global names.

While some makers have slapped together a brand customized for China, Nissan said it had taken great care and is touting Venucia as the most successful of a slew of new models introduced by automakers to target the economy market.

Nissan design chief and senior vice president Shiro Nakamura acknowledged China sales should be growing, not just returning to the previous year's levels. He stressed that Nissan can't afford to lose in China.

In contrast to developed countries, China's potential remains vast even if the growth of overall sales has slowed from 2009 when it reached a heady 45 percent. For every 1,000 people, car ownership is at 800 people in the U.S. and 600 in Europe and Japan, but a mere 50 in China.

Big business is expected in what are called second and third-tier cities, less developed than Beijing or Shanghai, and where people are just starting to think about owning cars as incomes rise.

Winning in the Chinese market is likely to depend on other factors as well, such as the strength of dealerships, the appeal of model lineups and the management of recalls, analysts say. The Japanese must overcome their current sales difficulties and also deal with tough competition from European and U.S. rivals.

Volkswagen AG of Germany, the biggest selling automaker in China, is investing 9.8 billion euros ($12.7 billion) through 2015 in its China business, mostly for fuel-efficient vehicles, and had pianist Lang Lang and Hollywood star Keanu Reeves at a gala event Friday evening to woo Chinese buyers.

Namrita Chow, senior analyst at IHS Automotive in Shanghai, said U.S. automaker Ford Motor Co. and Hyundai Motor Co. of South Korea were best able to take advantage of Japanese sales woes and increased market share in China.

Toyota Motor Corp., whose March sales in China were down 12 percent from a year earlier, is hoping to win over China with its gas-electric hybrids, a technology it pioneered with the Prius.

China is increasingly concerned about energy efficiency and pollution, and Toyota is hopeful that hybrids will catch on with Chinese buyers. Rapid growth in car sales has left Beijing, Shanghai and other major cities choked on traffic and smog.

By the end of 2015, or early 2016, Toyota is planning to start selling two hybrid models in China, developed by a special team for the Chinese market, in which the core part of the hybrid system will be totally made in China.

Tadashi Yamashina, Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (China) Co. President, acknowledged the company was taking a risk with pushing hybrids in China where such vehicles are currently a tiny proportion of sales. But he believes the technology is well suited for the country as long as it is affordable. Toyota did not give sales prices or production numbers for the planned models.

"The era of hybrids is almost certain to come. It has taken off in the rest of the world," he said. "Besides, it will be good for China."

___

Follow Yuri Kageyama on Twitter at www.twitter.com/yurikageyama

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-04-21-AS-China-Auto-Show-Japan/id-2c0b55e822e446b1b41e0ae8e0669434

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Un-bagging safe solvent: A look at Martin Reisch's camera gear

Martin Reisch, aka safe solvent is iMore's go-to videographer for events like CES and Macworld, and he's just joined us in New York City for our big, upcoming [Redacted]. The moment he landed he walked in with a giant Crumpler Dry Red No. 9 gear bag, and we just knew we had to get a look inside it.

Starting at the top, Martin had his 5D Mark III, and since he's a firm believer in backup bodies, he had his 5D Mark II as well. For lenses, he brought with him his Canon 24-70 F2.8 L, Canon 50 F1.2 L, and Canon 70-200 F2.8 L.

He also packed his RED Scarlet, a massively impressive 4K camera with an EF mount that lets him use the very same Canon lenses.

Despite all that glass, Martin's daily driver is still his iPhone 5, along with a Joby Gorilla Pod GripTight. You can see samples of that work over on Instagram, and as for the work he's doing this week...

... Stay tuned!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/Ma3HIJEY-Mc/story01.htm

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Russia says G8 nations reject "bellicose" North Korea

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Tuesday the G8 was in agreement in rejecting North Korea's recent provocative behavior and urged all sides to pursue diplomacy to calm the increasingly tense situation in northeast Asia.

Speaking before a regularly scheduled meeting of Group of Eight (G8) foreign ministers later this week in London, Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said Russia shared its partners' concerns about North Korea.

"We are in solidarity with them as regards the rejection of Pyongyang's current provocative and bellicose line of conduct," he said in an interview with state news agency RIA that was posted on the ministry's website.

"At the same time, we must not renounce political and diplomatic efforts, as any alternative brings the threat of profound upheaval in Northeast Asia," he said.

Russia has stepped up criticism of North Korea after the Soviet-era client state conducted a nuclear test in February, which led to new U.N. Security Council sanctions that both Russia and China, the North's closest ally, approved.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday also reiterated that Pyongyang's violations of the U.N. Security Council were unacceptable.

"The situation is very serious anyway, nuclear explosions and rocket launches are not a joke. But the rhetoric is playing a no less harmful role," Lavrov was quoted as saying by Interfax news agency.

"That is why we are persistently seeking to calm the situation."

North Korea has intensified threats of imminent conflict against the United States and South Korea in recent days, and on Tuesday warned foreigners to evacuate the South to avoid being caught in a war.

RIA cited an official at the Russian embassy in Seoul as saying there were no immediate plans to evacuate.

The G8 includes the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada and Russia.

(Writing by Steve Gutterman and Gabriela Baczynska, Editing by Michael Roddy)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/russia-says-g8-nations-reject-bellicose-north-korean-092836624.html

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Sheikh Khalifa Medical City tackles health and wellbeing of ...

Adolescent medicine focuses on the care of patients as they enter puberty, which for girls is typically from ages 9 to 11, and boys, 11 to 14. The care encompasses their physical, emotional and social needs and extends until they reach the age of 20.

According to a 2011 census from the Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD), there are 99,121 young people aged between 10-19 years resident in Abu Dhabi, a figure that represents five per cent of the emirate's total population.

"I am very excited about taking on this new role as I believe that there is a need for this particular branch of medicine in the UAE that is dedicated to meeting the specific needs of teenagers and young adults in the country," said Dr. Rizk, speaking yesterday.

"Youngsters are particularly vulnerable at this stage in their lives as they are too grown up to access paediatric services and yet not mature enough to be suitable candidates for adult medicine, which is often geared towards those who are middle-aged and over. It can be a frightening time for them if they need to go to hospital," she added.

Dr Rizk's responsibilities at SKMC and across the Abu Dhabi community include ensuring high quality health care for those who fall between the two disciplines of paediatric and adult medicine, with her appointment adding a new dimension to the scope of healthcare in Abu Dhabi. In addition to providing general pediatric care, including school and sports physicals to children and young adults, she is highly experienced in the diagnosis and management of a wide variety of adolescent-specific disorders. These range from physical ailments that can affect adolescent girls, such as dysmenorrhea and polycystic ovary syndrome, to conditions that can have a psychological as well as a physical component, such as acne, eating disorders and risky behaviours.

Dr. Rizk studied for a three-year post-doctoral fellowship in Adolescent Medicine at The Children's Hospital of Montefiore in New York, an institution ranked in the top three per cent of U.S. hospitals, completing her training in June 2011. Since then, she has authored a number of scholarly articles and research pieces and has been invited to lecture widely on topics in her field. She has been heavily involved in adolescent clinical care, patient & family education and community outreach programs. Honours given to her to date include an Excellence in Teaching Award, which she attained in 2008 from the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

"Dr. Rizk's appointment forms part of SKMC's commitment to serving all sectors of UAE society. We identified that there was a need for a medical professional to provide dedicated healthcare for adolescents in the country, as this is often a group that is too often overlooked," said Fred DeGrandis, CEO of SKMC.

"Our philosophy at SKMC is 'Patients First' and this is the underlying drive for all our activities. Providing a physician who has special training to meet the unique health needs of our young adults is one way to help us achieve this goal," he added.

Source: http://www.ameinfo.com/sheikh-khalifa-medical-city-tackles-health-337084

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Louisville's Hancock wins Most Outstanding Player

Louisville guard/forward Luke Hancock speaks during a news conference after the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball championship game against Michigan, Tuesday, April 9, 2013, in Atlanta. Louisville won 82-76. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Louisville guard/forward Luke Hancock speaks during a news conference after the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball championship game against Michigan, Tuesday, April 9, 2013, in Atlanta. Louisville won 82-76. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Louisville guard/forward Luke Hancock (11) reacts after Louisville defeated Michigan after the second half of the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball championship game Monday, April 8, 2013, in Atlanta. Louisville won 82-76. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Louisville guard Peyton Siva (left) and forward Luke Hancock (right) start the celebration as time runs out defeating Michigan to win the NCAA Division I National Championship on Monday, April 8, 2013, in Atlanta. Louisville beat Michigan 82-76 for NCAA title. (AP Photo/Atlanta Journal Constitution, Curtis Compton)

Louisville guard Peyton Siva (3) and Louisville guard/forward Luke Hancock (11) celebrate their teams victory over Michigan during the second half of the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball championship game Monday, April 8, 2013, in Atlanta. Louisville won 82-76. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

ATLANTA (AP) ? Two minutes. Four 3-pointers. Safe to say, Luke Hancock knows how to make good use of his time.

The backup forward, better known as "Plan B" for Rick Pitino's talented team, went on a shooting spree for the ages Monday night, making four straight 3-pointers over a two-minute span late in the first half to help pull Louisville out of a double-digit deficit and into a one-point lead.

Sparked by Hancock's shooting, the Cardinals went on to defeat Michigan 82-76 for the national title. On the strength of a 5-for-5 performance from 3-point range and a 22-point night that added to his 20 points in the national semifinal, Hancock was named the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player ? the first reserve to take that award.

"We needed a rally and we've been doing it for a couple of games straight, being down," Hancock said. "We just had to wait and make our run."

It's no small feat to come off the bench and win that type of award for the Cardinals. This is a team led by the scoring of Russ Smith, the patient tenacity of Peyton Siva and the shot-blocking and rebounding of Gorgui Dieng. The presence of Pitino to say nothing of the story of Kevin Ware and his broken leg made Hancock, a junior transfer from George Mason, something of an afterthought.

Hard to imagine that's the case anymore.

"I just thought we needed something," said Hancock, whose 100-percent mark from 3 is, of course, a title-game record. "I tried to do whatever I could to help the team. I usually take a back seat to Russ and Peyton, which I'm fine with since they are such great players. I just hit a few shots."

Trailing 33-21 with just under 4 minutes left in the first half, Hancock actually kicked things off with two free throws. That was the easy part. Then, he spotted up four straight times from beyond the 3-point arc, all in the span of two minutes. They all went in. He accounted for 14 straight Louisville points as part of a 16-3 run that turned the 12-point deficit into a one-point lead, and turned a potential runaway into a game again.

This marked the seventh time Louisville has come back from double digits to win this season ? and the second time the Cards (35-5) have turned a 12-point deficit into a victory in Atlanta. Hancock was also key in the comeback against Wichita State on Saturday ? a game where Louisville also got a boost from walk-on Tim Henderson in the form of two 3-pointers during a game-saving comeback.

"There are so many plots," Pitino said. "We don't get to the final game if a walk-on doesn't step up and hit two gigantic 3s, and as soon as we started to play Luke Hancock more, our half court offense evolved into something that was very special."

Indeed, it was quite a performance from the player Pitino has been afraid to start because he wanted to keep him out of foul trouble.

And quite a treat for Hancock's father, Bill, who is gravely ill with a sickness the family does not want to disclose, but made the trip down from Roanoke, Va., nonetheless to see his son become the star of the Final Four.

Bill Hancock's illness may have been the most poignant, untold story of this, a championship run dominated by news of Ware's snapped tibia, a gruesome injury suffered in the regional final that gave all the Cardinals a rallying point.

"There's no way to describe how it feels that my dad was here," Hancock said.

Hancock was the backup plan for Pitino, whose best scorer, Smith, went 3 for 16 in the final and 9 for 33 for the Final Four. Hancock's stats: 5 of 6 in the final and 11 of 15 for the tournament. Since Feb. 23, Hancock is 28 for 49 from 3-point range.

After Hancock shot the Cardinals back within contact in the first half, Smith, Siva and Chane Behanan started scoring, slowly building a Louisville lead. Then it was Hancock with what was essentially the knockout blow ? a 3-pointer with 3:27 left that put Louisville up by double digits for the first time all night.

He became the first non-starter in a championship game to score 20-plus points since Ron Mercer in 1996, playing for Pitino at Kentucky.

"Coach Pitino made this feel like a home," Hancock said. "I'm so excited for our team to be in this situation and finally be here."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-04-09-BKC-NCAA-MVP-Folo/id-3e30fc9f92854eb8a2c9cfe00b643f9a

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Apr 6, 1830: Joseph Smith and five others organized the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Fayette, New York.

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1830

Joseph Smith and five others organized the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Fayette, New York.

1862

The Battle of Shiloh in the American Civil War began.

1896

First modern Olympic Games opened in Athens, Greece.

1909

Robert Peary and Matthew Henson became the first to reach the North Pole.

1917

U.S. declared war on Germany and entered World War I.

1994

The presidents of Rwanda and Burundi were killed in a plane crash.

Source: http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory/Apr-6

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Schumer sees deal this week on immigration

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Sen. Chuck Schumer said Sunday he's hoping for a bipartisan deal by the end of this week on a sweeping immigration bill to secure the border and allow eventual citizenship to the estimated 11 million people living here illegally.

"All of us have said that there will be no agreement until the eight of us agree to a big, specific bill, but hopefully we can get that done by the end of the week," said Schumer, D-N.Y., who's leading efforts by eight senators to craft the legislation. "That's what we're on track to do."

Schumer spoke on CBS' "Face the Nation" alongside Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., another leader of the immigration talks, who suggested there could be a tough road ahead for the contentious legislation.

"There will be a great deal of unhappiness about this proposal because everybody didn't get what they wanted," McCain said. "There are entrenched positions on both sides of this issue as far as business and labor."

A deal on immigration is a top second-term priority for President Barack Obama, and his senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer said Sunday that the bill being developed in the Senate is completely consistent Obama's approach ? even though the Senate plan would tie border security to a path to citizenship in a manner Obama administration officials have criticized.

Pfeiffer didn't answer directly when asked on "Fox News Sunday" whether Obama would sign legislation making a path to citizenship contingent on first securing the border, as negotiators in the Senate are doing. But he suggested Obama was supportive of the Senate plan.

"What they are looking at and what has been talked about in the Gang of Eight proposal is 100 percent consistent with what the president is doing so we feel very good about it," Pfeiffer said. "And they are looking at it in the right way."

Obama has stressed that a path to citizenship should not have major hurdles in front of it, and some immigration advocates believe that's what a requirement for a secure border would amount to. Obama's Homeland Security secretary, Janet Napolitano, has rejected the argument that border security must be achieved before a comprehensive immigration package or any pathway to legalized status can be done.

But Republicans involved in the Senate negotiations have made clear that border security is a must for them before those living here illegally can be allowed to move toward citizenship.

"We are going to secure that border and it will be tied to a pathway to citizenship or there will be no deal," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., another negotiator on the bill, said Sunday.

Graham also suggested that disagreement over a new low-skilled worker program could still be hanging up an overall immigration deal ? even after an agreement a week ago between the AFL-CIO and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The hard-won deal between labor and business would ultimately allow up to 200,000 workers a year into the U.S. to fill jobs in construction, hospitality, nursing homes and other areas where employers now say they have a difficult time hiring Americans or legally bringing in foreign workers. Even after the deal was struck, some industries, such as construction, continued to voice complaints about the terms.

Without offering details, Graham said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that negotiators were revisiting the low-skilled worker deal. But he issued a statement a short time later saying he was confident the agreement would hold.

Graham sounded optimistic overall, predicting the bill would pass the 100-member Senate with 70 votes in favor. Senators believe an overwhelming bipartisan vote is needed in the Democratic-led Senate to ensure a chance of success in the Republican-controlled House. Floor action could start in the Senate in May, Schumer said.

Meanwhile two lawmakers involved in writing a bipartisan immigration bill in the House, Reps. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., and Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., sounded optimistic that they, too, would have a deal soon that could be reconciled with the Senate agreement.

"I am very, very optimistic that the House of Representatives is going to have a plan that is going to be able to go to a conference with the Senate in which we're going to be able to resolve this," Gutierrez said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union".

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-04-07-Immigration/id-dde02a8041e444c6ae5adb348dda5a02

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CA-BUSINESS Summary

Canada posts worst monthly job losses in more than four years

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada posted its worst monthly jobs loss in more than four years in March, another sign the economy is struggling to cope with weak foreign markets and a strong Canadian dollar. Canada shed 54,500 positions in March, more than wiping out the 50,700 jobs that were added in February, Statistics Canada said on Friday. Market operators had expected a modest gain of 8,500 jobs.

Canada's Flaherty: big March job losses just a snapshot in time

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada's job losses in March are disappointing, Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said on Friday, but he described the broader performance of employment since the global recession as much more positive. "After strong job growth in February I am disappointed with the job numbers announced by Statistics Canada today," Flaherty said in a statement, referring to the loss of 54,500 positions in the month.

Judge approves BofA $2.43 billion settlement over Merrill

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bank of America Corp on Friday won a federal judge's approval for a $2.43 billion settlement with investors who said the lender hid crucial information when it bought Merrill Lynch & Co. The accord, among the largest investor settlements stemming from the recent global financial crisis, was approved by U.S. District Judge Kevin Castel in Manhattan.

TSX in five-day losing streak on lackluster jobs data

TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index capped a five-day losing streak by slumping to its lowest in more than 3-1/2 months on Friday, led by declines in the financial sector, as gloomy Canadian and U.S. jobs data suggested the North American economy could be losing steam. The economic uncertainty weighed on oil prices, which fell to a five-month low, but a rising bullion price took gold shares higher.

China's big banks "faking" their micro loans: researcher

BOAO (Reuters) - China's big banks are not delivering on their promise to lend more to the smallest firms and are instead "faking" their micro loans, a researcher said on Saturday, suggesting a government drive to increase micro-lending is struggling. Ba Shusong, a researcher from the Development Research Center, a think-tank that advises China's cabinet, said the biggest Chinese banks are still setting tough collateral standards for small firms, who often cannot meet the demands.

IKEA halts moose lasagne sales after pork traces found

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Furniture retailer IKEA said on Saturday it had halted sales of moose lasagne after traces of pork were found in a batch of the product. Sales of the lasagne, of which about 10,000 tonnes has been produced by a Swedish supplier for IKEA, were stopped at its stores in 18 countries across Europe after tests by Belgian authorities late last month revealed traces of pork.

BizJet officers charged with bribing Latin American officials

(Reuters) - Two officers of a Lufthansa subsidiary were indicted in Oklahoma on charges of bribing foreign officials to secure aircraft maintenance contracts, while two others pleaded guilty to related criminal charges, the U.S. Department of Justice announced. The charges, unsealed on Friday, were filed in January of 2012 against four directors of BizJet International Sales & Support, a U.S.-based unit of Lufthansa that provides aircraft maintenance, after a joint probe by the DOJ and FBI.

Boeing completes 787 Dreamliner test flight for battery fix

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Boeing completed a test flight on Friday of its 787 Dreamliner jet, part of a regimen of tests aimed at certifying a reworked system to prevent fire or overheating of the plane's lithium-ion batteries. The flight lasted about 1 hour and 50 minutes, landing at 12:28 pm Pacific Time (1928 GMT), according to Boeing. Data from the flight, which had Federal Aviation Administration officials aboard, will be submitted to the FAA, which will decide whether to approve the plane for flight. The 787 was grounded by regulators in January after batteries overheated on two planes.

Big funds pick sides as Agrium-Jana battle nears climax

TORONTO (Reuters) - Agrium Inc's fierce battle with activist investor Jana Partners could go down to the wire as Agrium's large institutional investors look to be split on who they are backing ahead of a shareholder vote at Agrium's annual meeting next week. The big Canadian fertilizer maker and farm products retailer has been locked in a war of words for months with Jana Partners, a New York-based hedge fund, over the direction the company should take. Jana has named a slate of five nominees for election to Agrium's board and the battle is now set to come to a head at Agrium's AGM on its home turf in Calgary, Alberta, on April 9.

Boeing finishes 787 testing, focus shifts to regulators

NEW YORK (Reuters) - With a successful flight on Friday, Boeing moved closer to proving that a revamped safety system can prevent batteries on its new 787 Dreamliner from catching fire or overheating, and getting back the plane into service. Friday's test flight concludes testing after little more than three weeks, and moves the Dreamliner closer to resuming passenger flights, restarting jet deliveries, and stemming millions of dollars in losses that have piled up at airlines and Boeing since the jet was grounded more than two months ago.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ca-business-summary-000057342--finance.html

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Queen Elizabeth II honored for supporting UK film

LONDON (AP) ? Queen Elizabeth II has received an honorary British Academy award in recognition of her support of British film and television.

John Willis, chairman of the British Academy Film and Television Awards, joked that the prize was also in honor of the queen's performance as the "most memorable Bond girl yet" during the London Olympics opening ceremony.

He was referring to the moment when a stuntman dressed as the queen parachuted into the Olympic Stadium during a skit involving James Bond, the legendary spy.

Actor Kenneth Branagh presented the prize to the monarch Thursday during a glamorous reception to celebrate the British entertainment industry at Windsor Castle.

The party was attended by 300 guests, including "Star Wars" director George Lucas, "Homeland" actor Damian Lewis and veteran actor John Hurt.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/queen-elizabeth-ii-honored-supporting-uk-film-202531476.html

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White supremacist groups in the spotlight after high-profile murders

By Matthew DeLuca, Staff Writer, NBC News

Violent white supremacist prison gangs have crawled into the national spotlight over recent weeks amid speculation that groups in Texas and Colorado might be linked to the seemingly separate and so far unexplained murders of prominent officials in both states.

Colorado authorities sought two men allegedly associated with the 211 Crew on Thursday, saying they might be connected to the death of department of corrections chief Tom Clements. The top state prisons official was shot dead on March 19, apparently after answering his home doorbell.

And in Texas, where Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife were gunned down in their home, possible involvement by the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas is among the leads being explored by investigators, federal prosecutors have told NBC News.

Kaufman County Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse was slain in a separate shooting about two months earlier.

The 211 Crew began to form in Colorado prisons in 1995, naming themselves after the California penal code designation for robbery. Since then, the gang has grown to include several hundred members and has earned the dubious distinction of being ?the dominant racist prison group in Colorado,? said Mark Pitcavage, director of fact finding for the Anti-Defamation League.

Yet, unlike some racist gangs that formed in prisons but have since spilled outside their walls, the 211 Crew has a stronger presence behind bars then out on the streets. Gang members are often tattooed with a ?patch? showing the numbers 211, clenched hands holding lightning bolts, and a Norse ?othala? rune favored by neo-Nazis, Pitcavage said.

The chief suspect in Clements death, 28-year-old ex-convict Evan Spencer Ebel, is thought to have been a member of the 211 Crew. He died in a shootout with Texas police on March 21. That authorities were seeking other alleged 211 Crew associates in their investigation of Clements? death was a sign they were probing the extent of the gang?s involvement, Pitcavage said.

While dominant in Colorado, the 211 Crew is small compared to white supremacist prison gangs in some other states.

The Aryan Brotherhood of Texas was formed in the hothouse racial atmosphere of Texas? recently desegregated penitentiaries in the 1980s as a coalition between members of two formerly distinct gangs. Despite the name and shared ideology, the group has no official affiliation with one of the granddaddies of white hate gangs, the Aryan Brotherhood gang that coalesced in the California prison systems in the 1960s.

Law enforcement in Texas were keeping the 2,000-strong Aryan Brotherhood of Texas under close observation well before the McLellands' violent deaths. The FBI indicted 34 alleged members of the gang in Houston on racketeering charges in November, a round up authorities called a ?devastating blow.? Ten alleged ABT members could face the death penalty if they are convicted, and Texas law enforcement agencies had warned that members might ?retaliate.?

District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife Cynthia were found shot to death in their home Saturday, just two months after the county's assistant DA, Mark Hasse, was gunned down outside the courthouse. NBC's Gabe Gutierrez reports.

The Texas Gang Threat Assessment for 2012, which was released by the state Department of Public Safety, cited the gang?s ?large membership numbers and consistent level of violence and other criminal activity.? The gang has also been reported to have ties to drug cartels, the threat assessment released in April noted.

But putting gang members behind bars is not enough to solve the problem, Pitcavage said.

?What happens if you arrest members of the ABT and you put them in prison?? he said. ?They exist behind bars just as well as on the streets. They are an extremely difficult problem to deal with.?

And the idea that prisoners join racist gangs for protection is nonsense, Pitcavage said: ?The people who do join do so primarily to become predators.?

The Aryan Brotherhood of Texas? allegedly murderous, meth-trafficking members are ?considered a prevailing gang that threatens Texas internally,? and have a strong presence in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Like many gangs they have their own argot, identifying themselves to one another with signs and tattoos. Along with elaborate tattoos bearing Nazi SS lightning bolts and swastikas, gang members sometimes distinguish themselves by using the numbers ?12? to signify the letters ?AB,? and may call a fully committed gang member ?112 percent.?

The Anti-Defamation League said in 2012 that the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas had emerged as ?one of the largest white supremacist prison gangs in the country.? The group may have surpassed other criminally active hate gangs by knowing when it pays to be racist. The Aryan Brotherhood of Texas constitution says that ?business transactions? should take precedence over race-related crimes, according to the ADL.

?Like most of these race-based prison gangs, they are fundamentally a criminal enterprise,? Mark Potok, a senior fellow at the Southern Poverty Law Center told MSNBC. ?They are certainly white supremacists, but when push comes to shove, that is quickly set aside in the interests of the criminal enterprise.?

Whether either gang was directly involved in the killing of the McLellands, Hasse, or Clements remains unknown. A concrete link between a racist prison gang and a top official in either state would take law enforcement into frightening new territory.

?Racist prison gangs have killed police officers, they?ve killed corrections officers,? Pitcavage said. ?But there?s never been a situation prior to the Colorado incident in which a member of a racist prison gang ever killed anyone as high ranking as the head of the Colorado Department of Corrections.?

Related:

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Ed Rush Resigns As Pac-12 Basketball Head Of Officials After 'Inappropriate Joke' About Coach

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Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt (99) of the AFC pulls down New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul (90) of the NFC after Pierre-Paul made an interception during the fourth quarter of the NFL Pro Bowl football game in Honolulu, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. The NFC beat the AFC 62-35. (Marco Garcia, AP)

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Tennessee's Taber Spani, right, keeps the ball in play as she collides with Vanderbilt guard Kady Schrann, left, in the first half of an NCAA basketball game, Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (Mark Humphrey, AP)

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Ashley Cain competes in the Ladies Short Program during the 2013 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships at CenturyLink Center on January 24, 2013 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images)

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San Jose Sharks center Tommy Wingels, right, is pressed up against the boards by Phoenix Coyotes defenseman Zbynek Michalek, of the Czech Republic, during the first period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013. (Marcio Jose Sanchez, AP)

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/04/ed-rush-pac-12-refs-_n_3018163.html

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Speak of the Devil by Shawna Romkey ? Christine Ashworth ...

Today we?re welcoming in author Shawny Romkey with her YA paranormal romance novel, Speak of the Devil. I, for one, can?t WAIT to read this book!

The lovely Shawna Romkey

Let?s find out a little about Shawna before we check out her book, shall we?

BIO:

Shawna grew up in around farms in the heart of Missouri but went to the University of Kansas, was raised in the US but now lives on the ocean in Nova Scotia with her husband, two sons, two rescue dogs and one overgrown puppy from hell. She?s a non-conformist who follows her heart.

?She has her BA in creative writing from the University of Kansas where one of her plays was chosen by her creative writing professor to be produced locally, and two of her short stories were published in a university creative arts handbook.? She earned her MA in English from Central Missouri State University where she wrote a novel as her thesis.

She?s?taught English at the university and secondary levels for close to twenty years and can?t quite fathom how all of her students have grown up, yet she?s managed to stay the same. ?She?s a huge geek and fan of Xena, Buffy and all kick ass women, and loves to write stories that have strong female characters.

What happens when falling in love and falling from grace collide?

After dying in a car accident with her two best friends, Lily miraculously awakens to grief and guilt. She escapes to her dad?s to come to terms with the event and meets some people at her new school who seem all too eager to help her heal. Sliding deeper into sorrow and trying to fight her feelings for two of them, she finds out who?what they really are and that they are falling too.

?Can she find the strength to move on from the past, reconcile her feelings for Luc, find a way to stop a divine war with fallen angels, and still pass the eleventh grade?

EXCERPT:
Rain fell, not uncommon for late spring in Missouri. ?If you don?t like the weather here,? my grandfather would say, ?wait five minutes.? Of course, I?d visited distant relatives in Maine once before, and they said the same thing.

Julie fumbled with the wipers while I pulled the sun visor down to check my face in its little rectangular mirror, even though I?d only left my vanity like five minutes ago. The lights on either side lit up the interior of the car. I reached into my tiny party purse to find my lip gloss, which was easy to locate since I?d only packed the essentials in my bag: phone, some cash, and make-up. As I glanced at myself, I saw Mike in the reflection, smiling at me from the back seat. I stuck my tongue out at him, making him laugh, and put on the lip-gloss, fully aware of how flirty I acted.

The windshield wipers couldn?t keep up with the sudden downpour. The pitter-patter turned to thumping. Hail came down in gumball-sized pellets. ?Damn.? Julie jerked the steering wheel to keep The Whale off the curb.

?Slow down, Jules.? Mike gripped Julie?s headrest. ?We can pull over until it passes.?

?Yeah.? She squinted to see the road before her.

I pressed my lips together to smooth out the gloss. ?Damn is right. I didn?t bring a jacket.?

The Whale swerved to the right crunching along the gravel on the side of the road. I braced myself in my seat. Julie leaned up to the steering wheel and peered over it as my grandmother sometimes did when she drove. I squinted because of the stupid light up visor mirror. I slammed it shut, but Julie panicked and over corrected, pulling The Whale to the left and careening over the yellow dotted line in the middle of the street.

?Julie!? Mike shouted.

Time slowed and ticked out in heartbeats.

Ba bum.

Julie cringed, her hands moving up to shield her face. Her head turned away from the highway.

Ba bum.

Mike reached protectively from the back seat.

Ba bum.

The headlights illuminated the rail of the overpass.

Ba bum.

The car hit the rail on the opposite side of the road with a hard thud.

Ba bum.

Crap. We?re going over the bridge.

Ba bum.

The Whale?s nose pointed down toward the water.

Ba bum.

A jolt forward and my forehead slammed into the dashboard.

Ba bum.

The Whale flipped in the air. I?m upside down.

Ba bum.

Pain.

Ba bum.

Did my mom say good-bye when I left?

Ba bum.

Cold water rushed into the car.

Ba bum.

Is this it?

Ba bum.

I can?t breathe. Oh my God, I can?t breathe. I can?t see or breathe!

My heart quickened. It pounded. The Whale leaned on its side under the surface of the water which rushed in fast, and I couldn?t see a damn thing.

Calm, stay calm. Don?t panic. They say when you?re drowning not to panic because you use up your air faster.
Dammit, am I drowning?

I tried to get myself upright and jerked out of my seatbelt. Luckily, it gave way. I fought the latch to open the door facing up, but the pressure of the water from Black Water River held it closed, trapping me inside.

Jesus. I know this river. It?s more of a creek. It can?t be more than fifteen feet across and ten feet deep. I pushed at the door. Opening my mouth to scream, I swallowed water.

I couldn?t see or hear Julie or Mike. My watch ticked. Or was it my heart beating?

Ba bum. Ba bum. Ba bum.

Darkness.

Silence.

Cold.

Wet.

Defying gravity.

Nothing.

The dreams came. Like a good sleep you don?t want to wake up from. I felt heavy and floaty. I wore this long white gauzy gown and the wind blew my dress and my hair like in some feminine hygiene commercial. I could breathe slowly and deeply. Completely relaxed and at peace, but I was alone.

I floated along in a white space for a while. Drifting. Breathing. Relaxing. Had I gone to a spa? After an immeasurable amount of time, others appeared. They wore white clothing, too, and they floated like me, reaching out. They opened their arms as if to welcome me to them.

I stopped and frowned. I heard no sound, and I didn?t know who these white floaty people were or why they welcomed me. They smiled, genuinely happy, and held their arms out to me. I panicked.

Where?s my mom? My family? Wait, Mike and Julie were just with me, where are they? Are those wings?

I noticed the others floating with me had white feathery wings.

?Lily,? one of them called out.

Holy hell. I?m dead.

?WOW! What an excerpt ? I know Shawna?s going to be around today, so if you have any questions, let her have ?em in the comments!

Links

?Website ?| Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads? Amazon Print

Source: http://christine-ashworth.com/?p=1948

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Obama introduces $100 million brain mapping initiative

President Barack Obama exits the East Room following his BRAIN initiative unveiling. (Charles Dharapak/AP)

UPDATED 11:50 a.m. ET

President Barack Obama on Tuesday unveiled the BRAIN Initiative (Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies), a $100 million project aimed to increase understanding of the human brain.

The president, who publicly unveiled the program in the White House East Room, asked observers to imagine technology improving the lives of billions of people by reversing the effects of Parkinson's disease, epilepsy and traumatic brain injuries such as post-traumatic stress disorder for military veterans.

"There is this enormous mystery waiting to be unlocked" within the human brain, Obama said. And the BRAIN Initiative "will change that."

The initiative?a subject the president first referenced during his State of the Union address in January?would support technologies that map the brain in order to gain greater understanding of a variety of diseases in the hopes of leading to new cures, prevention and treatment, as well as the links between the brain and behavior.

But the president on Tuesday also promoted his program as an economic effort.

"Every dollar we spent to map the human genome has returned $140 to our economy," Obama said.

The president also argued that efforts such as the BRAIN Initiative keep America ahead in innovation and help produce new discoveries that might otherwise be made in countries such as "China, India or Germany."

"Ideas are what power our economy," he said. "We do innovations better than anyone else."

The $100 million in government funds being spent on the program will be included in Obama's fiscal year 2014 budget to be released April 10. The funding breakdown includes: $40 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH); $50 million from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which is part of the Department of Defense; and $20 million from the National Science Foundation.

Support will also be provided by private sector foundations.

Some critics have suggested that the cost of the program is too low when compared to other research initiatives, but in a phone call with reporters following the president's unveiling, Francis Collins, NIH director, said the amount "substantial ... considering this is the first year" of the project.

It's a "pretty good start for getting this project off the ground," Collins said.

Still others, notably some Republicans and fiscal conservatives, suggested Tuesday that the country needs to reevaluate federal funds already being spent on this subject, and took issue with the price.

?Mapping the human brain is exactly the type of research we should be funding, by reprioritizing the $250 million we currently spend on political and social science research into expanded medical research, including the expedited mapping of the human brain," Republican House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said in a statement. "It's great science."

Chris Moody contributed to this story

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/obama-introduce-brain-mapping-initiative-132407332--politics.html

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SC's ex-Gov. Sanford clears hurdle in comeback bid

Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford thanks his fiance Maria Belen Chapur as he addresses supporters in Mount Pleasant, S.C., on Tuesday, April 2, 2013, after winning the GOP nomination for the U.S. House seat he once held. Sanford is trying to make a comeback after his political career was derailed four years ago when he disappeared from the state only to return to admit the couple was having an affair. Sanford's wife, Jenny, later divorced him. (AP Photo/Bruce Smith)

Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford thanks his fiance Maria Belen Chapur as he addresses supporters in Mount Pleasant, S.C., on Tuesday, April 2, 2013, after winning the GOP nomination for the U.S. House seat he once held. Sanford is trying to make a comeback after his political career was derailed four years ago when he disappeared from the state only to return to admit the couple was having an affair. Sanford's wife, Jenny, later divorced him. (AP Photo/Bruce Smith)

Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford leaves the voting booth after voting at his precinct in Charleston, S.C., on Tuesday, April 2, 2013. Sanford is facing former Charleston County councilman Curtis Bostic in the Republican runoff for South Carolina's vacant 1st District congressional seat. (AP Photo/Bruce Smith)

Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford answers questions from reporters after voting in Charleston, S.C., on Tuesday, April 2, 2013. Sanford is facing former Charleston County councilman Curtis Bostic in the Republican runoff for South Carolina's vacant 1st District congressional seat. (AP Photo/Bruce Smith)

Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford signs in before voting in Charleston, S.C., on Tuesday, April 2, 2013. Sanford is facing former Charleston County councilman Curtis Bostic in the Republican runoff for South Carolina's vacant 1st District congressional seat. (AP Photo/Bruce Smith)

Former Charleston County Councilman Curtis Bostic greets voters at a polling place in Charleston, S.C., on Tuesday, April 2, 1013. Bostic faced former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford on Tuesday in the Republican primary runoff for South Carolina's vacant 1st District congressional seat. (AP Photo/Bruce Smith)

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (AP) ? Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford on Tuesday cleared another hurdle in his bid for political redemption, defeating a former Charleston County council member to win the GOP nomination for the U.S. House seat he held for three terms.

"It's been a very long journey. And in that journey I am humbled to find ourselves where we find ourselves tonight," said Sanford, whose political career was derailed four years ago when, as sitting governor, he disappeared from the state only to return to acknowledge an extramarital affair with an Argentine woman.

That woman, Maria Belen Chapur, and Sanford are now engaged. She appeared at Sanford's side during his victory speech, smiling and applauding the former governor, who thanked her for being long-suffering while he was campaigning. She did not address the crowd.

"I want to thank my God," Sanford said. "I used to cringe when somebody would say, 'I want to thank my God' because at that point I would think this is getting uncomfortable. But once you really receive God's grace and (have) seen it reflected in others you stop and acknowledge that grace and the difference He has made in my life and in so many lives across this state and across this nation."

With all of the precincts reporting, Sanford had about 57 percent of the vote in the 1st District to 43 percent for Curtis Bostic, the former county council member. The candidates were vying in the GOP runoff after they finished as the top two vote-getters in a 16-way GOP primary last month.

Sanford will face Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch, the sister of comedian Stephen Colbert, and Green Party candidate Eugene Platt in a May special election.

Colbert Busch released a statement late Tuesday saying "I look forward to a vigorous campaign that focuses on creating jobs, balancing our country's budget and choosing an independent-minded leader who shares the values of the great people of South Carolina."

Sanford, a former three-term congressman and two-term governor, said earlier Tuesday that the runoff would give a good indication whether voters have moved past his personal indiscretions.

"I'm both humbled and grateful for the response of the voters here tonight," he said later.

Sanford was a rising Republican political star before he vanished from South Carolina for five days in 2009. Reporters were told he was hiking the Appalachian Trail, but the then-married governor later tearfully acknowledged he was visiting Maria Belen Chapur, which he told everyone at a news conference announcing his affair. He later called her his soul mate and the two were engaged last year.

After the revelation of the affair, Sanford's wife Jenny divorced him and wrote a book.

Before leaving office as governor, Mark Sanford avoided impeachment but was censured by the Legislature over state travel expenses he used for the affair. He also had to pay more than $70,000 in ethics fines ? still the largest in state history ? after Associated Press investigations raised questions about his use of state, private and commercial aircraft.

The 1st District seat opened up after Republican Tim Scott was appointed to serve out the remaining two years of U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint's term. DeMint resigned to head The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.

Mark Sanford knows the district well, though the boundaries have changed somewhat. Elected to the seat in 1994 ? Jenny Sanford managed his first campaign and was a close adviser for most of his career ? he served three terms before voters elected him governor in 2002.

Jenny Sanford briefly looked at mounting a race in the Republican-leaning congressional district along the state's southern coast, but she decided against it, saying her job as a mother to the couple's four sons was more important.

In last month's GOP primary, Bostic collected only about 13 percent of the vote, narrowly defeating state Sen. Larry Grooms for second place. But he had less than two weeks to overcome Sanford's high name recognition.

During a televised debate, he took a jab at Sanford, saying "a compromised candidate is not what we need" in the race against Colbert Busch.

Sanford acknowledged he "failed very publically" but said he had done a lot of soul searching since then. He added, "Not since Jesus Christ was here has there been a perfect man or woman."

He said that after Scott was appointed, people kept encouraging him to run.

Sanford said they told him "here is your chance for you to learn, not only from your experience in Congress and the governorship, but more significantly what you learned both on the way up and the way down and apply it to what is arguably one of the great conundrums of our civilization, which is how do we get our financial house in order."

One of those in attendance at the debate was Barbara Boilston, a 49-year-old paralegal from Charleston. She talked about Sanford's indiscretions.

"I believe he has come full circle," she said. "I believe he has found peace with God. If God forgives, I forgive, and we should go forward and put this man back in office."

Bostic said earlier Tuesday that he liked his chances as he visited with voters in a suburban Charleston precinct.

"People dismiss us," the attorney and retired Marine said. "But we believe strongly the best way to win elections is through relationships and we have worked really hard to do that."

Bostic himself did not vote in the GOP runoff on Tuesday because he can't.

His residence near Ravenel, S.C., is in the 6th Congressional District, represented by U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, about 1,500 yards from the 1st District line. Bostic's law office, other property, church and children's schools are in the district. Under federal law, to run for the U.S. House, one only need to be a resident of the state in which the district is located, not the district itself.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-04-03-1st%20District%20Primary%20Runoff/id-38a740bb1a704ce6b66c3d2abd0eda67

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